137 Switch 1 & 2 Games You Should Check Out In The 'Hits For The Holidays' Nintendo eShop Sale (US)

Super Mario Odyssey (Switch)

$39.99 (-33%)

It's one of the best-selling games on the Switch, but hey, maybe you haven't picked up Super Mario Odyssey yet, or you're getting your loved one a Switch 2 for Christmas. If so, then let us tell you about what might be the most utterly remarkable entry in this celebrated of series.

Mario Odyssey brings back the 'sandbox' style players had been pining for since 1996, and it delivers. Cappy's capture abilities keep things fresh in a game which blends all sorts of ideas and art styles into an improbably coherent, compelling whole. The mechanical mastery here is breathtaking, with so many distractions to discover. We don't envy the designers who have to come up with Mario's next game, but Mario Odyssey proves that absolutely anything is possible.

The best Switch Mario game is an essential purchase whether you like Mario or not. and there's a free Switch 2 patch as well.

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System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster (Switch eShop)

$22.49 (-25%)

System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remaster is a wonderful way to experience one of the most well-regarded FPS titles of all time. With an excellent narrative and a world that begs to be explored, it's not only an incredible game in its own right but should also be considered essential reading for BioShock fans.

Minor combat concerns aside, System Shock 2's immersive mechanics will keep you hooked from start to finish, with Nightdive's enhancements and supplemental material providing ample bonus points. Now go play it, insect.

Tales from the Borderlands (Switch eShop)

$14.99 (-40%)

Tales from the Borderlands is arguably Telltale Games' finest hour and easily one of the very best choice-driven narrative adventures available on any system. This is 10 glorious hours' worth of top-notch entertainment with a world-class cast, consistently excellent writing that manages to perfectly balance comedy and drama, non-stop twisted action and a cast of kooky characters that are a joy to spend time with.

This really is the best the Borderlands universe has ever been, and a game that everyone should experience at least once. It'll even keep you busy until Borderlands 4 hits...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge (Switch eShop)

14.99 (-40%)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is the best Turtles beat 'em up ever made. It looks delicious, sounds superb, and rekindles childhood memories beyond all expectations, time-warping you back to 1987.

Its combat system is so much fun to mine that you feel compelled to keep coming back to try new strategies, and with its awesome co-op multiplayer, the experience evolves again and again. Like many a beat 'em up, it does get repetitive as you enter the last third, but that’s more a fault of the concept than the game. Shredder’s Revenge really is an unprecedented, ahem, shell-ebration.

The Dimension Shellshock DLC (which is part of the Ultimate bundle) adds new fighters and a Survival mode, too, and if you can't get enough of your Turtle-filled co-op brawlers, there's also Digital Eclipse's TMNT: The Cowabunga Collection for $15.99 (-60%) which features a boatload of Konami classics to keep you busy for hours.

Tetris Effect: Connected (Switch eShop)

$19.99 (-50%)

Tetris Effect: Connected is perhaps the best iteration of the classic puzzler...ever? Yes, we're sticking with ever. Some will argue that Tetris Effect: Connected's unique brand of synesthesia only really comes alive when played on PSVR or an Oculus Quest headset, but we'd argue passionately that this game benefits far more from the ability to pick it up and play whenever, wherever.

Just as the Game Boy and Tetris combined to create an irresistible, world-conquering fusion back in 1989, Tetris Effect: Connected found the hardware that allowed it to truly shine, making this an utterly essential purchase for all Nintendo Switch owners. Don't forget those headphones.

The Alliance Alive HD Remastered (Switch)

$12.49 (-75%)

The Alliance Alive HD Remastered ia a perfectly competent port of an already fantastic handheld game. A well-written story, a smartly interwoven and complex system of gameplay mechanics, and a distinctive visual style make this a no-brainer for anybody looking for a consistently high-quality RPG experience on their Switch.

It may feel a little simple, given its origins on the 3DS, but don’t make the mistake of passing up on The Alliance Alive HD Remastered, it’s well worth your time.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (Switch eShop)

$8.49 (-52%)

The Tarot deckbuilding aspect is present and correct here, but the wide variety of Witches and the way their stories intertwine is where The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood really shines. Every being that you encounter has a purpose in this story, and all the threads twist together to make a truly beautiful tapestry.

Being locked down narrative paths without the ability to return might not be for everyone, but it's a moot point when the story is this good — every playthrough will feel like a brand-new experience.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero (Switch)

$27.99 (-30%)

Both Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure are on sale right now, and if you haven't played any of the games in the Trails series, these are great games to start with.

In a series renowned for its stellar writing, twisting plots, and wonderful characters, this duo are standouts. Narrowing the focus of its story to one state, and honing in on a smaller cast of characters, makes for a fantastic and engrossing adventure that is about both intimate relationships and huge, secretive scandals. The gameplay is wonderful too, with lots of customisation. We still think these are the best two games on the system right now, perhaps besides the Trails in the Sky remake.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (Switch)

$41.99 (-30%)

With the titular princess taking a starring role in her namesake series for the first time, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom should be the new standard for top-down Zelda going forward.

Rather than abandoning the classic formula, Zelda has shown that the old and the new can come together and produce wonderful results that reward experimentation and reinforce the joy of play. Wwe hope we don’t need to wait another 35 years for Zelda to take the lead again.

The Touryst: Deluxe (Switch 2)

$13.99 (-30%)

The Touryst: Deluxe gives us Shin'en's excellent 2019 adventure, plus a new island, fun new minigames and missions, and a new arcade game that's worth the price of entry alone.

With snazzy Switch 2 graphical effects and super smooth performance, it's perfect if you've yet to play it. The discount is available on Switch 1 too, but if you have the newer console, then this is a no-brainer.

The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (Switch eShop)

$2.99 (-80%)

Whether you played this back in 2012 or are completely new to the series, Telltale's The Walking Dead: Season One is a masterpiece of video game storytelling.

It features some of the best voice-over performances you’ll find on any gaming platform and sets the stage for a grand, multi-season odyssey of tragic proportions. However, this is also a satisfying and poignant collection even if you never play the subsequent episodes. This is still the best adaptation of Robert Kirkman's world of walkers.

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Switch)

$24.99 (-50%)

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is an utterly addictive, perfectly tuned celebration of all things Final Fantasy. It’s a deceptively simple-looking game that, once you get under the hood, you’ll discover it has teeth and demands practice and patience if you want to unlock everything. It gives back what you put into it, and we’re struggling to put it down even now.

How other storied, sprawling game series’ haven’t followed suit with their own rhythm games is baffling when the results can be this magical. All that DLC is also on sale too, and you can grab the bundles for lower prices if you just want access to every single song right out of the gate.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (Switch)

$19.99 (-60%) (Deluxe Edition only)

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Nintendo Switch is a rock-solid port of a pair of genuinely fantastic remakes. These really are two of the very best arcade sports titles of all time, revamped, reworked and re-imagined for modern audiences with all the graphical bells and whistles, collectibles and game modes we've come to expect in this day and age.

With flawless performance in both docked and handheld modes and visuals that still look the part after a few necessary concessions here and there, this is one collection we highly recommend you kickflip right into.

TRIANGLE STRATEGY (Switch)

$23.99 (-60%)

Triangle Strategy is an absolute triumph for Artdink and Square Enix, a fantastic mix of satisfyingly strategic battles, an excellent choice-driven campaign narrative, and top-notch world-building, all of which triangulate to form one of the finest tactical RPGs we've played.

Serenoa Wollfort's epic journey is a joy from start to finish, a grand and ambitious adventure that stands proud. There's an absolute ton of content here, with a huge story featuring multiple paths to take depending on the choices you make and several properly impactful endings to enjoy on return visits.

UFO 50 (Switch eShop)

$19.99 (-20%)

What stands out about UFO 50, Mossmouth’s delightful collection of retro-styled games, is not that so many of them are absolute bangers – although they are – rather, it’s the fact that it genuinely all comes together as a single experience.

In this game, you are a visitor in some wonderful exhibition, and UFO 50 is your 8-bit time machine. It's magnificent, and a perfect fit for Switch.

Unicorn Overlord (Switch)

$20.99 (-65%)

Even amidst a huge strategy-RPG boom, Unicorn Overlord stands out. It’s a smorgasbord of visual delights, intricate systems, and addictive gameplay loops that all come together to create a delightfully thrilling and deep tactical RPG. It’s so easy to get absorbed into everything the game offers, and we lapped it all up.

Vanillaware has long been known for creating beautiful-looking games with unique twists on genres, but with 13 Sentinels and now Unicorn Overlord, this developer should be on absolutely everyone’s radar.

Speaking of the sci-fi adventure, you can also pick that up for $14.99 (-75%)

UNSIGHTED (Switch eShop)

$7.99 (-60%)

Unsighted combines some very familiar ideas: it’s a top-down, roguelite, sci-fi Metroidvania with a strong 16-bit aesthetic. Its time-is-ticking, post-apocalyptic scenario is brought to life by the enchanting palettes of its pixel art, making a world you want to explore, full of characters you want to know.

Far from punishing, it leans more on the 'lite' than the 'rogue', letting fun prevail – as it will, thanks to the addictive rhythm of the controls, backed by punchy sounds. Combining flavours of Super Nintendo classics with modern playability, Unsighted is the game 1995 desperately wanted to make but just didn’t know how.

Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden (Switch eShop)

$11.99 (-60%)

The best of the bunch in our eyes, Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden pulls together a darker story, a new battle mechanic, and that ever-present cozy atmosphere to make for a hypnotizing and immersive experience.

Yoko Taro and company have moved the series forward another (single) step with this new entry, but if you've long been intrigued by the games, all three are on sale right now, with the trilogy going for a cool $24.99 (-50%) as a bundle.

Volgarr the Viking II (Switch eShop)

$9.99 (-50%)

Volgarr the Viking II is, quite simply, one of the best 2D action platformers on Switch, or any other platform for that matter. It improves upon the original in just about every conceivable way, introducing neat ways to ease newcomers into its relentless brutality, vastly improving the visuals, and adding a soundtrack that is destined to go down as one of the all-time greats.

Minor quibbles with the UI aside, Volgarr the Viking II is an absolute must-play if you can stomach the intense Ghosts 'n Goblins-style difficulty.

Wargroove (Switch eShop)

$7.99 (-60%)

As far as strategy games are concerned on the Switch, Wargroove is one of the best titles you can find on the eShop. Extremely deep and diverse strategy gameplay, ridiculous amounts of replayability, and charming presentation all combine to make this one an easy recommendation to anybody looking for a deep and cerebral experience for their Switch.

Advance Wars did finally return, but Chucklefish's Wargroove and its sequel — which you can get for $11.99 (-40%) — stand as worthy successors to that franchise.

What The Golf? (Switch eShop)

$9.99 (-50%)

What the Golf? is a sterling effort on Switch that clearly had enormous amounts of love poured into it. Its aesthetic is a little bit indie-by-numbers, but there's so much to see and do here that'll have you (and a friend) laughing out loud.

It may not be the most difficult game in the world, but it's damn good fun, even if you don't like golf. Especially if you don't like golf, in fact.

Windjammers 2 (Switch eShop)

$4.99 (-75%)

Windjammers 2 is a common discount on the eShop sales, but if you're still on the fence, let us try and convince you. Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way.

The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevvy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings. Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, but this is another banger from this developer.

World of Goo (Switch eShop)

$7.49 (-50%)

World of Goo is a true classic, and it's revered for good reason. 2D Boy's game is instantly accessible but with plenty of depth; it's paced out perfectly, with a steady stream of new tricks and techniques to learn, and its puzzles can be solved with forward-thinking, quick reflexes or a mixture of both. Wrapped up in a unique, pleasantly apocalyptic presentation, with co-op support and a harder 'OCD' mode for added replay value, this is a complete puzzle package.

If you've played it on Wii U, the Switch incarnation might be worth a go for its portable pointer controls and on-the-go co-op, but if it's your first time in the World of Goo, it's absolutely a must-play. We might even like it more than the sequel...

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (Switch)

$19.99 (-50%)

With fun, fast-paced combat, likeable characters, and an enjoyable story that takes full advantage of its beautiful shipwrecked setting, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a top-shelf action RPG.

Exploring the Isle of Seiren is as rewarding as mastering the character-swapping and hack-and-slash battle system, and both fit into an addictive feedback loop of adventuring that keeps everything moving at a quick clip. This is a fantastic way to play Ys VIII, one of the very best action RPGs on the Switch and a true gem.

And last but not least, Alana's personal pick...

$9.99 (-50%)

Now for something a little different from yours truly, Arranger is a delightful blend of puzzle game mechanics and Zelda adventuring, all wrapped in a charming, heartfelt package about identity and purpose.

It was one of 2024's hidden gems in my eyes, and for less than $10, you could do far, far worse than loose a few hours shuffling squares in Furniture & mattress' debut.